Time to shut out the past: Forget old wounds, says Roy, the future starts now

Steven Gerrard was explaining how his pain in the rain would fuel his desire against Poland tonight and how he would instil that in the younger generation with a ‘massive picture of the Croatia game’, when Roy Hodgson begged to differ.

‘As far as we’re concerned, the words Croatia and 2007 have never been mentioned,’ said Hodgson. ‘It is of no interest. The last thing we want to do ahead of this important game is to be dwelling on something negative from six years ago.

‘We can’t change the Croatia result. Or make Tomaszewski play badly in ’73. And we can’t alter the fact that the pressure’s on us. We try to keep things positive. Talking about Croatia and the last time England failed to reach a World Cup would only be harmful to the players.’

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Steven Gerrard: Ready to do the job

Leading the way: Steven Gerrard is ready to inspire England to victory against Poland

Simple equation: Gerrard and England know a win will take them to Brazil

Painful memories: Gerrard was part of the England side that lost to Croatia in 2007 and failed to qualify for the Euros

One win from Brazil: Gerrard is hoping to wipe away the pain of England missing out on Euro 2008

The FA are this year celebrating their 150th anniversary, an occasion which, despite the best efforts, is difficult to pass without an undertone of: ‘Just to remind you, we invented this game.’

Fabio Capello would marvel at the ‘weight of the shirt’ and the paralysing fear which accompanies a full house at Wembley. Perhaps it will help to usher 18,000 Poles through the gates.

Capello and Hodgson could have discussed it when they met for dinner in Israel during the European Under 21 Championship last summer. It is time for England to walk free from the past. Players like Andros Townsend, Daniel Sturridge and Leighton Baines played against Montenegro like players unburdened by history.

Only Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe survive from the night Steve McClaren’s team were beaten 3-2 by Croatia in November 2007.

Confident: Roy Hodgson and Gerrard address the media ahead of the Poland game

Hodgson was not one who went in for Churchillian speeches, he said, but England’s captain, on the eve of his 107th cap, promised to rev up the players.

How? ‘A massive picture of the Croatia game in 2007,’ Gerrard replied. ‘It’s a memory I struggle to reject; one I’ll take to the grave with me; one of the lowest moments of my international journey; one of those memories that keeps coming back and coming back.

‘It’s the failure of not getting to a tournament. I’ve already spoken to the lads about that feeling, since we joined up last week. Every time you get the chance to share a bit of experience it’s vital for them.

‘I’d never ever try to scare a young lad. But it’s important they’re aware how big this is and what’s at stake.

Free from history: Andros Townsend, Leighton Baines and Daniel Sturridge are not burdened with the past

‘We need to seize this moment, to have fond memories and look back with a smile rather than the way I look back at 2007.’

It does not help dispel the gloom when the final Group H fixture is at Wembley, a few days from the 40th anniversary of the night Jan Tomaszewski inspired Poland against England.

When Hodgson was asked about ’73 in the immediate afterglow of Friday’s 4-1 win against Montenegro he misheard and thought someone wanted to talk about ’93 when he took Switzerland to the World Cup.

‘I was in Estonia,’ Hodgson happily recalled, although he would probably have been in Zurich where the Swiss beat Estonia 4-0 to finish runners-up in the group behind Italy and book a place at USA ’94.

Carried away: Hodgson guided Switzerland to the 1994 World Cup after a 4-0 win in Estonia

Twenty years earlier, he was actually in South Africa, blissfully unaware of events in London, about to board a train to Cape Town and a boat to Southampton. ‘There was no TV in South Africa at the time,’ said Hodgson.

This time the eyes of the world will be on him and the mood is upbeat after Friday’s win, the first in the campaign against a team of any note. Nothing less than another will do against Poland or England will be cast into the play-offs because Ukraine, the only rivals for top spot, will beat San Marino.

Hodgson revealed that Townsend had been carrying a knock since his exhilarating debut on Friday and Phil Jagielka was spitting blood after cutting his lip in the warm-up before training yesterday but both should be fit. ‘It was a vicious warm-up,’ smiled Hodgson.

Three wise men: Roy Hodgson talks to coaches Gary Neville and Ray Lewington ahead of the Poland game

‘To lose two right backs is a serious blow,’ said Hodgson. ‘Not too many countries can produce three players of the same quality in the same position. We are no different. His loss is a blow, not least of all because of his understanding with Andros.’

Another matter is whether to adjust in midfield to combat Kuba Blaszczkowski on the Poland right or generally solidify against opponents with nothing to lose, but England are confident.

‘I believe we have a good team,’ said Hodgson. ‘That will be contested if we don’t win. I’ll be reading we’ve got a very bad team. But I think we have a good team.

‘We have something really big for us at the end if we win the game. The Poles have nothing other than a bit of personal pride.’

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE £3BILLION GAME

If England fail to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil, it won’t just be a huge blow to national pride, it will inflict massive damage on the UK economy as well…

£2.5bn The estimated impact that the 2010 World Cup had on UK spending. Should England fail to make it to Brazil, that number is more likely to be around £3bn.

63 The percentage of people in 2010 who expected their leisure spending to increase as a result of that year’s World Cup. Major purchases included replica shirts, barbecues and TVs.

31The percentage of people in 2010 who said they would purchase alcohol to drink while watching the football, and 23 per cent said they would bet on the tournament.

£3.2bn The estimated boost to the UK economy if England had won the right to host the 2018 World Cup.

THE REFEREE

Damir Skomina is a 37-year-old estate agent from Slovenia who has been on the FIFA list since 2003.